Trusting someone with your business’ financial information can feel a bit daunting. But for so many business owners, trying to keep across all the little details in the numbers is pretty much impossible. This can mean things are missed, mistakes can be made and opportunities can go unnoticed. We totally understand why this is - not all business owners are best suited to financial forecasting, processing payroll or filing taxes. Ideally, you’d be able to spend your time on the things you’re most effective at, and harness the expertise of someone else on things that simply aren’t in your wheelh ..read more

Bookkeeping is about keeping financial transactions and records accurate and up to date. Without bookkeeping a business would run into problems with planning, cash flow and tax obligations. In a busy, growing business there’s much for an owner to think about, and becoming an expert simply isn’t practical. With that said, some basic understanding of bookkeeping requirements can help avoid getting into some tricky financial positions, even if you’re not personally the one managing or processing bookkeeping or payroll for your business.  So what are some ways that businesses can help keep b ..read more

One thing that history has shown us is that running a business will involve its fair share of ups and downs. While each business will have its own unique ride, all of us are impacted by the global and New Zealand economy in some way. All businesses should prepare and plan for periods where the phone may not be ringing as much or purse strings are tightening. Because even the longest boom periods will come to an end - when the tide goes out, you want to stay afloat!  Each business has its own set of goals, but we’d suggest including ‘the ability to survive in any typical economic conditio ..read more

Recently in a blog we touched on the idea that acquiring a new customer is much harder than retaining an existing one. In this article, we’re going to explore this topic of keeping your old customers connected to your business and ways to build more loyalty that drives repeat business ..read more

Come the end of a calendar year, it’s forgivable that many are thinking more about where to go fishing or what jobs on the house need doing over the summer break - and less about setting plans for their business in the new year. And we completely appreciate that. Setting goals is best done in the freshness of a new year after a recharge - but goals should be set as early as possible, giving the business as much time as possible to achieve them over the 12 months ..read more

Being a business owner is rarely a relaxing adventure. But there’s been more than the average amount of challenges and changes in the past 4 or so years for businesses to contend with.  As the pandemic slowed and the world opened back up, large conflicts, inflation and interest rates have come into play. The knock on effects to the economy and NZ businesses has been significant. There are plenty of business owners who are sailing close to burnout due to the need to constantly adapt, pivot and recover ..read more

Every year it seems like Christmas is coming earlier and earlier. That’s especially true for many business owners who often find that time is at a premium. When your business is approaching the holiday period, it’s a good time to think about the best way to continue engaging with your customers and wider market. Over this period, it’s likely your audience will have slightly different routines and habits, meaning they could engage differently or be simply preoccupied with their holidays.  With that said, going completely silent during the holidays is a real missed opportunity. Depending o ..read more

As the festive season approaches, the prospect of taking some well-deserved time off is a welcome thought for many Kiwi business owners. However, before you head out for that long-awaited holiday break, ensuring your business is prepared to run smoothly in your absence is crucial. Here’s a comprehensive guide on what you need to prepare before you jet off for your Christmas holidays ..read more

Branding is about creating your business’ identity out to your market. There’s lots of elements that go into creating an enduring, recognisable brand and the topic is far too complex to cover entirely in one article! Even if it’s simple, making sure you have some consistent brand is a good business move. Let’s assume you have the logo, colours and general design language sorted - how do you bring this brand to life without breaking the bank?  In this article we explore some common branding steps that don’t require a big expensive strategy or giant media budget, but can elevate the experi ..read more

So much of the foundation we put down in our business at the start will pay off later. On the flip side, if we don’t start building the business for its future state today, change can be much harder down the track. Ultimately if your vision is a bigger, broader business with more people, you’ll want to be thinking about what scaling looks like at each stage along the way.  In this article we touch on some ways to manage business structure effectively to plan ahead ..read more